I've had great success with repopulating my pods (after a course of interceptor for red bug treatment) with just buying a bunch of cheato from the LFS. Only takes a week or two and they are everywhere again. They hide in the cheato for protection and the cheato pulls the waste out of the water...you can't lose. and its cheap. I also run a probiotic reef like schmink, so the cheato usually withers away after a month or so. by then, the pods have repopulated.

good luck!